EFEJ: November 9, 2006
October, 2006
Each year the Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund holds
its Evening for Economic Justice dinner in Detroit to
celebrate the work of its partners in the affordable
housing and community economic development
industries. The organization fosters economic and
social justice by providing loans and technical
assistance for economic development and affordable
housing throughout Michigan. This year’s event
will be held November 9 at the Focus: HOPE Conference
Center, located in the Center for Advanced Technology
(CAT) in Detroit.
The dinner celebrates the Trust Fund’s economic justice mission, its borrowers, and the accomplishments of the many non-profit organizations that are working to rebuild our communities. It is also a time to honor the generosity of the investors and contributors that make the work of the Trust Fund possible. The resources channeled through these relationships make a remarkable difference in the lives of those in need, and the dinner is a great opportunity for the Trust Fund’s partners to gather together and celebrate their collective achievements over the past year.
This year’s event will take time to highlight the work of the Trust Fund’s current housing and economic development borrowers, and will feature two speakers. Carolyn Mosher, President of the Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit, has been an Trust Fund borrower since May 2005. As an alternative to traditional demolition techniques, the Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit safely deconstructs deserted homes and removes historic materials, which then become affordable inventory that is available for re-sale to the public. James Balmer, President of Dawn Farm, will also speak at the event. The Trust Fund has made three loans to Dawn Farm over the years, funding transitional housing for people recovering from chemical addiction.
At the dinner an individual and faith-based investor will also be honored for their commitment to the Trust Fund. This year’s honorees are Mr. Biff Elliott and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Michigan. Mr. Elliott is a long time investor who has been involved with the (former) McGehee Fund since its earliest days. He worked as a volunteer with the Economic Justice Committee to start the McGehee Fund in 1988, and encouraged the Episcopal Church at the National Convention to financially support an organization like the McGehee Fund, which was eventually formed in 1991. Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are newer investors, and have been supporting the Trust Fund’s work since 2003. It is not unusual for religious orders to see the work of the Trust Fund as comparable to their own mission and beliefs. They are dedicated to serving those who are in need, and see their partnership with the Trust Fund as a way of spreading their social commitment out into the world.
The Evening for Economic Justice will begin with a short reception at 5:30 p.m. preceding the evening’s dinner and ceremony at 6:45 p.m. The Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund welcomes all to the November event. For more information on attending, please contact Melodie Balzer Sanford at (517) 372-6001 or Jane Carpenter at (313) 964-7300. You may also register on our website: www.interfaithtrust.org.
The dinner celebrates the Trust Fund’s economic justice mission, its borrowers, and the accomplishments of the many non-profit organizations that are working to rebuild our communities. It is also a time to honor the generosity of the investors and contributors that make the work of the Trust Fund possible. The resources channeled through these relationships make a remarkable difference in the lives of those in need, and the dinner is a great opportunity for the Trust Fund’s partners to gather together and celebrate their collective achievements over the past year.
This year’s event will take time to highlight the work of the Trust Fund’s current housing and economic development borrowers, and will feature two speakers. Carolyn Mosher, President of the Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit, has been an Trust Fund borrower since May 2005. As an alternative to traditional demolition techniques, the Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit safely deconstructs deserted homes and removes historic materials, which then become affordable inventory that is available for re-sale to the public. James Balmer, President of Dawn Farm, will also speak at the event. The Trust Fund has made three loans to Dawn Farm over the years, funding transitional housing for people recovering from chemical addiction.
At the dinner an individual and faith-based investor will also be honored for their commitment to the Trust Fund. This year’s honorees are Mr. Biff Elliott and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Michigan. Mr. Elliott is a long time investor who has been involved with the (former) McGehee Fund since its earliest days. He worked as a volunteer with the Economic Justice Committee to start the McGehee Fund in 1988, and encouraged the Episcopal Church at the National Convention to financially support an organization like the McGehee Fund, which was eventually formed in 1991. Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are newer investors, and have been supporting the Trust Fund’s work since 2003. It is not unusual for religious orders to see the work of the Trust Fund as comparable to their own mission and beliefs. They are dedicated to serving those who are in need, and see their partnership with the Trust Fund as a way of spreading their social commitment out into the world.
The Evening for Economic Justice will begin with a short reception at 5:30 p.m. preceding the evening’s dinner and ceremony at 6:45 p.m. The Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund welcomes all to the November event. For more information on attending, please contact Melodie Balzer Sanford at (517) 372-6001 or Jane Carpenter at (313) 964-7300. You may also register on our website: www.interfaithtrust.org.